Band of Horses – City and Colour

BAND OF HORSES

There might be no other band that was able to channel the generational anxiety in those early millennial years and turn it into such powerful and inclusive art quite like Band of Horses. Band of Horses fashioned gorgeously ragged epics, Ben Bridwell’s high-flying vocals and eccentric enunciation floating like a specter that felt like a prelude to a dream. Full of profundity, truth, and sometimes just homespun advice on how to live, Band of Horses songs have become anthems and touchstones for fans. Emotionally intense, both on a personal and elemental level, the songs for Band of Horses’ sixth album, Things Are Great, finds Bridwell more autobiographical than he’s ever been on record, detailing the nebulous frustrations and quiet indignities of relationship changes and what a person will do to make things right. And what you do when you can’t. Band of Horses is composed of Bridwell, longtime members Ryan Monroe and Creighton Barrett and new members Matt Gentling (of Archers of Loaf) on bass, and guitarist Brett Nash. This fresh chapter finds the band recapturing the raw emotion and unpolished punk-rock spirit of its early days. The songs on Things Are Great document the connections in Bridwell’s life that have shifted, or remained. An epic album, Things Are Great is not an exercise in nostalgia or regret. It’s closer to the classic pattern of the hero’s journey, one where Bridwell doesn’t locate those elusive answers but does find himself in the end, providing hope that all of us can do the same.

“As songwriters and musicians, we have a need for people to be on board, we’re not just regurgitating the same shit,” explains Bruzza. Hoffman adds, “we aren’t a band all for money. We did it for romantic reasons such as love, catharsis, and because it mattered to us and the listeners. It would be easy to make decisions based on our needs to eat or the desires of others, but that’s not doing it for love. We love what we do, and we’re grateful for the love we receive in return from the people listening.” Bruzza continues, “I hope they know we’re doing this for us and them.”

CITY AND COLOUR

Over the course of six studio albums, Dallas Green has compiled a canon ripe with songs born of adoration and devotion amassing a legion of fans worldwide and garnering him 3 JUNOs, including two Songwriter of the Year awards, plus 1 Triple Platinum, 2 Double Platinum, 1 Platinum, and 1 Gold certification at home in Canada. Alongside these accomplishments, Green has been awarded Platinum-certification for all four of Alexisonfire’s full-length records. City and Colour’s last studio album A Pill For Loneliness – released on Green’s Still Records, an imprint of Dine Alone Records – debuted at #1 on the Billboard Canadian Albums Chart, his 4th consecutive chart-topper in Canada. His previous #1 LP If I Should Go Before You made serious waves internationally debuting at #16 on the U.S. Billboard 200 Chart and #5 in Australia where Green’s LP Little Hell was certified GOLD. In 2014, Green collaborated with international superstar Alecia Moore (aka P!nk) on a new project titled You+Me. The duo’s acclaimed Platinum-certified first record, rose ave., debuted at #4 on the U.S. Top 200 Chart, #1 in Canada, #2 in Australia culminating in memorable performances on The Ellen Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live. Green was personally invited by Alice in Chains to perform alongside Metallica, Korn, members of Soundgarden, Jane’s Addiction, Nirvana and other legendary artists when the Seattle quartet were honoured as the recipients of the 2020 Founder’s Award from the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPop). In 2022, Green was honoured with the SOCAN National Achievement Award at the JUNO Awards in recognition of his philanthropic contributions to music education in Canada music education in Canada